Port Townsend sailboat racing season set to kick off with Shipwrights’ Regatta

A month from now, sailboats of all shapes and sizes, and sailors of all skill levels will make for the starting line in Port Townsend Bay for yet another fun and competitive Shipwrights’ Regatta. Mark your calendars for February 25 and head to Port Townsend for the 26th year of the race that kicks off the local sailboat racing season.

This well-loved regional tradition is sponsored by the Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC) and the Wooden Boat Foundation, and as usual, welcomes boats of all construction. Part of what makes the Shipwright’s Regatta such a hit is that it is open to folks who would like to try sailboat racing but do not have a boat. Non-boat owners are encouraged to show up at the Skippers’ Meeting on Saturday morning to be connected with skippers looking for crew.

The racing action takes place at high noon on Port Townsend Bay with one long course set up for racing and cruising classes. And the past couple years have been sunny and relatively warm, with great breezes to get everyone around the course and back to the dock.

Post race shenanigans begin at the NWMC at 5 p.m. with prizes, beers, snacks and lots of laughs. A free haul-out will be awarded to two lucky sailors courtesy of SEA Marine and the Port of Port Townsend, and there will be the usual hilarious perpetual awards and race awards. There is even a cool cap to buy this year!

Registration forms are currently available upstairs at the NWMC at 431 Water Street, and online at http://nwmaritime.org/shipwrights/. Last-minute registrations will be accepted between 8:00-9:00 a.m. on Saturday February 25 upstairs in the Chandler Building (the red building) at the NWMC; the Skippers’ Meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Complimentary coffee will be provided courtesy of Sunrise Coffee.